Homosexuality in the Military Essay

Serving in the military is for many the most honored position they will hold in their lifetime. Many dedicate their entire lives to serving their country. For some soldiers however their dream of proudly serving their country was cut short because they are gay, lesbian or bisexual. America’s attitude towards acceptance of homosexuals has continued to grow over the past couple of decades, but full acceptance and equality is still far off. Nowhere are attitudes towards homosexuality more conservative than in the U.S. military, yet even here attitudes are slowly evolving towards acceptance and equality. Gays and lesbians were banned from serving in the military until 1992 when President Clinton signed into law “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”,…show more content…

The DADT policy is harmful to service members because it creates a culture in which to be homosexual is made to be so culturally taboo that no one can even speak about it. Gay and lesbian service members are forced to lie about their identity, which creates for them a hostile and uncomfortable atmosphere where every day they hope to not be found out. In addition the DADT policy works to further ingrain negative ideas about homosexuals since the policy works to suppress them.
American attitudes towards gays and lesbians are slowly changing. A 2009 Gallup poll revealed that 69% of Americans support having gays and lesbians serve openly in the military. The thought behind DADT was that it would lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve in the military with relative ease, yet that has not been the case. Instead the policy has created a “climate of fear” for those who are gay and led to numerous instances of bullying (Ottawa 2011). According to an article in the Ottawa Citizen “In recent years, Canadian courts have heard from gay U.S. soldiers seeking asylum in Canada about taunts, threats and, in one case, even a death threat."Don't ask, don't tell" put victims of bullying within the U.S. military in a position in which they feared losing their careers if they reported such actions” (2011). Not allowing gay members of the military to serve openly is itself a disruption to the unity and cohesion of a unit.
Joseph Rocha, a former

Related Documents: Homosexuality in the Military Essay

will open homosexuals in the US military affect morale, stability and structure of the military?
In the early 1990’s there was an elaborate debate as to whether or not open homosexuals should be allowed to join the United States military. As we know, there were two extreme sides to this issue. Many felt that there was no reason to change the accepted notion of having an all heterosexual military. Those on that side of the rock felt that the high standards the military has in place would be jeopardized…

terminating anyone who had sexual relations with people of the same sex. States also created legislations that prohibited gays from being served in bars and other public establishments. One of many challenges to these sodomy laws (which pertained to homosexuality) came from a case in Georgia, Bowers v. Hardwick 478 U.S. 186 (1986). Michael Hardwick and his partner (a male) at the time were arrested for engaging in consensual sex acts that were considered to be sodomy whether gay or straight. Hardwick…

race, and religious belief. Also, according to the Bill of Rights, everyone should have the freedom of speech, liberty, and equal treatment in court. However, homosexuals have not been treated equally and have also been discriminated against. Homosexuality has been in existence since the beginning of human documentation of history (Ngyuen, par.1 ). Inspired by the African American Civil Rights Movement, homosexuals in the United States have also begun to organize themselves and fight for their equality…

being remarkable”. Being different is not very hard but accepting that you are, is challenging. Throughout the class we watched many different documentaries on marginalized voices and one of them was about marginalizing homosexuality because of religion. In my opinion homosexuality should not be marginalized because: Everyone has equal rights; they do not harm other people; and a lot of religions allow it.
In 2004, Canada legalized same sex marriage. Where homosexuals were given rights to get married…

the circle. Now the arc of justice must continue to bend and help this community feel comprised in all aspects of society and be equal to all Americans under the law.
The idea of homosexuality as “abnormal” and unacceptable relates back hundreds of years. In 1260, the famous professor Thomas Aquinas condemned homosexuality as against the laws of nature. His treatise, the basis for the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, banned homosexuals and deprived them of rights. As late as 1953, in…

care.
The main argument against homosexuality is that it is “unnatural” or “out of the ordinary.” To many people homosexuality is a willful choice. Some may think it is due to psychological damage. But to the homosexuals themselves, it is neither a choice, nor a disease. It is an identity. To them, homosexuality is not just a behavior; it is a part of who they are. They want to be accepted for who they are, not for what they are. My view is that homosexuality can either be accepted or rejected…

Women in Military Combat
The world is always evolving into something different for better or for worse. Yet the ideals on women haven’t changed since the existence of mankind. Men were always superior to women, while women were the underdog. Females have been trying so hard to be equal to men, such when women wanted to vote, become a part of the congress, or, nowadays, be in the military combat to fight for their country. Women should be a part of the military combat even though people argue they…

for a long time. The deontology theory advocates that religion opposes homosexuals and even in the Bible there were issues dealing with homosexuality. As we look in the bible as a guide on homosexuality we find that every time the bibles spoke on homosexuality, it was with condemnation. First, let us look at a few scriptures that substantiate that homosexuality is wrong.
Lev. 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."
Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man…

Military Ethics
Marvin J. Harris
United States Army Sergeants Major Academy
Department of Military History
Class 64
SGM Rivera
November 26, 2013
Abstract
Since 1775, the birth of the United States Army, many men and women have served in the United States military. These individuals have given their lives in defense of democracy, both at home and abroad. The oath of enlistment these individuals took to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” is a major obligation. Whether…

Words 2712 - Pages 11

* Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with this website.